Warfel Construction Company today announced that its work on the Hess Bros. Fruit Company project in Lancaster, Pennsylvania has earned the company a first-place national Excellence in Construction® Eagle Award from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) in the Renovation $5-10 million category. Vice President of Operations Conlan Swope and Project Executive Guy Kingree accepted the award March 21 during ABC’s 28th annual Excellence in Construction awards celebration in Long Beach, California.
“Associated Builders and Contractors is proud to honor Warfel Construction with a best-in-class Excellence in Construction Eagle Award for their tremendous work in completing the Hess Bros. Fruit Company safely, on time and budget,” said 2018 ABC National Chair George R Nash Jr., director of preconstruction at Branch & Associates in Herndon, Va. “The dedication to innovation, productivity and world-class craftsmanship demonstrated by Warfel and its employees produced truly impressive results that any project owner would be proud of.”
A second generation family-owned business, Hess Bros. Fruit Company distributes over 20 varieties and 1.5 million bushels of local eastern apples a year. Hess Bros. specializes in the sourcing and wholesale of premium apples which are purchased through a network of hand-picked orchards. The apples are then distributed to a wide-range of markets including grocery stores, retail outlets, and restaurants.
Conveniently located along Manheim Pike in Lancaster, and home to a former molding and millwork company, Warfel’s task was to completely transform this manufacturing space into a fully functional distribution center housing dry and cold storage, packing and production lines, shipping and office areas.
The Excellence in Construction awards program is the industry’s leading competition, developed to honor innovative and high-quality merit shop construction projects, with an Eagle Award presented to the top project in each category. The award honors all construction team members, including the contractor, owner, architect and engineer. The winning projects, selected from entries submitted from across the nation, were judged on complexity, attractiveness, unique challenges overcome, completion time, workmanship, innovation, safety and cost.
Warfel also received a Pyramid Award, the second-highest honor, for the Water Street Mission renovation project in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Originally a six-week schedule that was condensed to just one week, this high-profile project consisted of the total renovation of the Water Street Mission dining hall and kitchen. Crews worked 24/7 for the duration of the project. The team completely gutted the interior of the building, then installed all new food service equipment, vibrant finishes and all-new mechanical systems. Workers completed the project a full 24 hours ahead of schedule.
A panel of industry experts served as the competition’s judges. This year’s panel included representatives from the Building Owners and Managers Association International, the Smithsonian Facilities Construction Division, the Construction Management Association of America, Engineering News-Record, Design-Build Institute of America and various construction-related firms nationwide.
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 that represents more than 21,000 members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC and its 70 chapters help members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work. Visit ABC online here.
